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May 19, 2009
Posted: 06:00 PM ET
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty: Privacy groups want the government to get rid of whole-body imaging machines at airports - because they say the security technology performs a "virtual strip" search and produces "naked" pictures of passengers.
A TSA officer reviews a passenger's carry-on items during a whole body scan at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. These sci-fi looking scanners were first introduced at a Phoenix airport in 2007. There are now 40 of them being tested and used in 19 airports. Some airports use them as a primary security check option instead of metal detectors; while others use it as a secondary option instead of a pat-down. The Transportation Security Administration says the machines detect metallic and nonmetallic "threat items" to keep people safe, and that the technology is proven and they're highly confident in its detection capability. They also say this option is faster. TSA officials say they're committed to respecting passenger privacy. The system uses a pair of security officers. The one who works the machine never sees the image, which is viewed behind closed doors by another officer, who never sees the passenger. Also, the passenger's face is blurred. Officers can't bring cameras or any recording device into the room; and the machines automatically delete the images. But critics are calling for more oversight, full disclosure for air travelers of what's going on here and legal language that would protect passengers and keep the TSA from changing its policy later on. The ACLU says we shouldn't pretend "being groped and being stripped" are our only options. A bill was introduced in the House last month to ban these machines. Here’s my question to you: Should airports do away with whole-body scans because they show "everything"? Interested to know which ones made it on air? Filed under: Airlines Travel January 30, 2009
Posted: 06:00 PM ET
From CNN's Jack Cafferty: The Pew Researcher Center asked, "Where would Americans most like to live and how do they feel about the place they call home?"
Where would you live if you could live somewhere else? The bottom line is that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. They surveyed more than 2 thousand adults back in October and found that 46% would rather live in a different type of community than the one they live in. City people want to move out to the country, and country folks want to head for the big city. And when it comes to big cities what do they have in mind? Well Denver, San Diego and Seattle are the cities most people said they want to live in. Also high on the list: Orlando, Tampa, San Francisco and Phoenix. While Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati are the cities most people don't want to live in. Even though people are longing to live elsewhere, 8 in 10 rate where they currently live as excellent. Of course the Pew folks break it down in every way possible so they can tell us things like more men than women want to live in Las Vegas and younger adults would rather live in Los Angeles and New York and so on. It's Friday. Here’s my question to you: Where would you live if you could live somewhere else? Interested to know which ones made it on air? Filed under: Cities Social Issues Travel April 10, 2008
Posted: 05:07 PM ET
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES) FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty: If you're planning to jet off somewhere for summer vacation, you may want to reconsider your mode of transportation. That's because this week's massive flight cancellations by American Airlines are likely to spread to other airlines as federal regulators step up their enforcement of maintenance and safety regulations. American says it's canceled more than 900 flights today. This is the third day in a row of cancellations, which now total close to 2,500. The airline says it expects all its planes to be inspected and ready for flight by Saturday. This has left more than 140,000 passengers stranded. The company's CEO is apologizing to passengers and says he accepts "full responsibility" for failing to meet FAA standards. Meanwhile, Midwest airlines also grounded 13 "MD-80" planes today. These inspections were ordered to look for potential wiring hazards in wheel wells and other possible faults – things that could cause fires or trouble with the landing gear. In recent weeks, Delta, Southwest and United Airlines have also canceled flights in order to perform safety checks. One expert says flight delays and cancellations could soon get worse, especially for airlines with older fleets and may last all the way into June. It's estimated that about 35% of the U.S. fleet is more than 25 years old. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration insists it is just doing its job of enforcing the regulations. But today senators blasted the FAA for "becoming too close to the industry it regulates”, saying it had been neglecting its safety operations. A lot of these safety issues came to light when it was revealed that Southwest airlines was flying planes even after cracks were discovered in a jet's fuselage. Here’s my question to you: When making travel plans this summer, are you less likely to fly? Interested to know which ones made it on air? Filed under: Airlines Travel |
Jack Cafferty sounds off hourly on the Situation Room on the stories crossing his radar. Now, you can check in with Jack online to see what he's thinking and weigh in with your own comments online and on TV. Send your comments on the "Cafferty File". Jack's Book
Read excerpts about Jack's battle with alcoholism and Jack's philosophy on parenting. CNN=Politics Screensaver
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